Thames Back on Map in Great Tube U-Turn

Thames Back on Map in Great Tube U-Turn

Article excerpt

TUBE maps that fail to show the Thames and the Underground's fare zone system are to be scrapped after a U-turn ordered by Boris Johnson.

Transport for London today announced it would replace the maps after an outcry from politicians and passenger groups amid fears that people could end up paying higher fares by accident.

Passengers have to pay a premium for entering Zone 1 in central London. TfL decided to remove the zones and the river because it said some passengers had complained that the map, Harry Beck's design classic that dates to 1933, had become "increasingly cluttered".

But Mr Johnson ordered an immediate rethink on seeing the Standard's coverage of the story when he returned from New York.

The new map will be introduced in December -- when it is due to be updated to reflect changes to the Circle line. TfL insists there will be no additional cost as a result.

A TfL spokesman said today: "The overwhelming public reaction is that the Tube and Thames should be reunited, so that's exactly what we will do. New maps showing the Thames will be reintroduced from December, the date of the next scheduled revision of the map.

"We are also looking again at the provision of zonal information to ensure that it is widely available to customers and aim to reach a conclusion on that, also by December, when the new Circle line service needs to be reflected.

"Over the next few months, we will also see what more can be done to respond to the feedback that we have been receiving on the map becoming too cluttered to be useful. …